Post-Secondary Students in Ohio Get a Jump-Start on College

At age 21, Korinn Lillie is living her childhood dream. A creative thinker and art enthusiast, the former UC Clermont student is studying graphic design and working with major Cincinnati architecture companies in UC's world-renowned Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) cooperative education program.

Brittany Brand's work in geology has led her to exotic locales, such as Iceland, The Bahamas, Chile and Hawaii, as well as to many places in the southwestern United States for field research. Brand, a former UC student, has a master's degree in geology and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the field - though she just graduated from high school in 1999.

Though their individual paths diverged, their starting points were the same: each was a Post-Secondary Enrollment Option, or PSEO, student at UC. And they're not alone. More than 100 students who enrolled in UC's freshmen class this year had already earned sophomore or junior status through PSEO, according to 2005 statistics from UC's Office of Institutional Research.

So what exactly is PSEO? It's a program that allows high school students to earn credit for both high school and college graduation by enrolling in university courses at the state's expense. PSEO provides a challenge for students ready to jumpstart their post- secondary education and assist those who never showed interest in high school, all at no cost to Ohio families. Countless summer programs, educational trips abroad and dual enrollment deals that award college credit cloud the meaning of Post Secondary Enrollment in Ohio, a specific program established by the state legislature. PSEO was formed in 1989 by the state of Ohio and was originally only open to high school juniors and seniors. In 1997 eligibility was expanded to include students in grades nine through twelve in all public, non-public, and non-chartered schools, says Tricia Renner, who wrote an article outlining the program for the Ohio Association for Gifted Children and coordinates the PSEO program at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

High schools implementing the program are required to provide information for interested students, while continuing to offer advanced placement and college preparatory courses at their schools. PSEO coordinators, such as Renner, believe that college classes should "contribute to or supplement the broad academic preparation needed by high school students."

Students can enroll in one of two options. In Option B, all tuition, fees, books and materials associated with the course are paid for by the state. It is more popular than Option A, in which the student is solely responsible for all expenses, says Deborah Clark, PSEO coordinator at UC's Clermont College. According to UC's Web site, the 2005-2006 tuition for Clermont College is $4,300 a year; at the Uptown Campus, tuition is $8,877 for 2005-2006.
Ohio, however, is not the only state to implement such programs. All across the country increasing numbers of students and their parents have opted to enroll in college courses instead of or in addition to high school curriculums in order to save on the cost of college tuition. The individual benefits experienced by participants of the program, however, are where the real successes come to light.

Former Clermont student works to revamp campus signage through DAAP co-op

"I'm one of those people who knew what I wanted to do since I was 10," Lillie says. Today she is approaching her final year of studying graphic design and has already worked with major Cincinnati architects through DAAP's co-operative education program.

In 2001, Lillie started her college career at UC Clermont during her junior and senior years in high school as part of the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) program. Although Lillie originally enrolled in the program to challenge herself academically, she says UC Clermont provided a great "bridge" between the atmosphere of her Bethel-Tate High School and UC's Uptown Campus in Clifton.

"I thought it [PSEO] was a great experience," Lillie says. "If you're going to college and you know that's where you want to go, it's a good opportunity to get an early start on it."

Now a part of DAAP's five-year co-op program, Lillie alternates between taking classes and interning every other quarter. Last spring she worked with the Office of the University Architect Campus Planning and Design at UC. The job gave her the opportunity to go back to her roots and create a Signage Masterplan for UC Clermont College. Lille says the plan encompassed documentation of current signage at the college and suggestions for improved "way finding" and directional signs and maps throughout the campus.

Lillie also says documenting the current UC Clermont landscape through photographs was her favorite part of the project.
"It was interesting to be able to show people on Main Campus what's out there (at UC Clermont) and what type of community is out there, because it's hard to understand unless you've been there," she says. "It's very different from Main Campus."

Some of Lillie's suggestions included maps to help new students and visitors find individual buildings and important sites on campus, such as Kreuger Auditorium. She also offered suggestions for enhancing the college entrance way and making signage consistent across campus.

Lillie will be returning to the Office of the University Architect to co-op in the fall, though she is unsure if any of her future projects will involve UC Clermont. Her Signage Masterplan ideas are currently under consideration and some may be implemented in the near future, says Robert McLaughlin, associate dean of administration at UC Clermont. In the meantime, Lillie says she will continue to pursue her studies and said she hopes to work for a small graphic design studio that focuses on a variety of projects after graduation. Still, she is grateful for the solid beginning her PSEO experience at UC Clermont gave her.

"It (PSEO) gave me a jump-start on college, and I'm so happy I did it," Lillie says.

Ph.D. candidate credits UC Clermont professor as inspiration

Brittany Brand loves rocks. She loves rocks so much, in fact, that she has made them the focus of her academic career, a career that she credits UC Clermont geology professor Dr. Amanda Hunt with fostering.

Brand, a 1999 graduate of Glen Este High School, enrolled at UC Clermont as a Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) student at the beginning of her junior year in high school. Though she had begun collecting rocks as a young child, it wasn't until Hunt's Geology 101 class that Brand realized he could turn her hobby into a way of life. Under the professor's tutelage, she decided to pursue geology as her chosen field of study. "Her knowledge and excitement for geology was an inspiration to me as a high school student," Brand says. "I feel so fortunate that I was able to make a career choice at such an early age."
During her two years at UC Clermont, Brand earned 93 credit hours and completed most of her general education requirements. This enabled her to earn her bachelor's degree in geology from Dayton's Wright State University in three years. Brand then went on to earn a master's degree in geology from Boise State University in Iowa in 2004. Currently, she is a second-year Ph.D. candidate at Arizona State University in Tempe, specializing in volcanology. Her long-term goal is to teach at the college level and continue to conduct research.

Her work in geology also has led her to exotic locales, such as Iceland, The Bahamas, Chile and Hawaii, as well as to many places in the southwestern United States for field research. Throughout her academic career, Hunt has remained a "close friend and mentor," Brand says.

"I love hearing the students express appreciation and respect for Brittany as a former Clermont College student," Hunt says. "Brittany will be a top-notch research volcanologist and a wonderful teacher. We are all very fortunate to have been able to work with Brittany."

Brand says she is always "delighted" to be asked to speak to UC Clermont students about further study and careers in geology. The field offers many opportunities to those who enjoy the outdoors and travel, opportunities Brand would not have been aware of without Hunt and her experience at UC Clermont.

"I would encourage any student who is unsure of career choice to begin his or her college career at Clermont College," Brand says. "The smaller classroom sizes, friendly environment and student support services make UC Clermont a comfortable and encouraging place to learn. It's an excellent first step in the pursuit of a bachelor's degree and graduate studies."

Failing schools, rising tuition - money matters
In a recent report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, it is stated that millions of students are simply "floating through high school" and that many are rarely encouraged to take or even offered challenging courses that will prepare them for college. The effects of this lackluster performance on the part of high schools across the nation have been disturbing: 80 percent of public universities and 60 percent of private universities in the United States offer remedial instruction.

Throughout the country, the cost of higher education is on the rise. States are providing public universities and colleges with less and less money, placing the financial burden on families. Ohio is no exception. As local parents continue to search for ways to make a college degree a reality for their children, they commonly look toward private loan and scholarship programs.

However, many Ohio high schools do not actively promote the PSEO program because it cuts into their state funding. In other words, for every student that takes college classes through Option B of the system, a public school district loses the amount of money it requires to pay for that student's tuition, books and fees, says Clark. According to 2004 statistics from UC's Office of Institutional Research, Hamilton School District had the largest number of students enrolled in PSEO - more than 60 that year. Goshen Local School District is also a top participant, sending nearly 30 of its students to college as part of PSEO in 2004. In these and other high schools where the program is well-known, students are proving again and again that they are benefiting from an early UC education - and getting a jumpstart on their futures.